Resoloution
by Cyacdon
Summary: Will Comes accross a window in the botanic gardens... what next? Chapter 9 uploaded Finally... Kirjava has left Will and is Browsing round when...
1. Thoughts of the Past

Chapter 1  
  
  
  
Thoughts of the past  
  
  
  
Will walked along the crowded street, keeping to the sides, keeping hidden. The cars roared by filling the air with choking fumes. The sky was bleak and dark and was raining.  
  
Will wore a black coat and jeans, his black hair was scuffled over his head. His hair covered one eye.  
  
This was the Oxford Will knew. He walked on towards a big building containing the apartment he was living in. once he got to the door of the massive building, he looked around to make sure no one was following him. Once he stopped looking around, he went into the lighten, warm and welcoming structure.  
  
He trod lightly on the marble steps, making no sound. Eventually he reached a door with the number eighteen on it. He fumbled in his pockets and brought out some keys. He turned the lock slowly and opened the door without a bit of noise.  
  
"Will! Can I come out now?" Came a voice from his jacket.  
  
"Sure" he said calmly. And when the animal he was holding heard that sound, it jumped out onto the floor and started licking its paws.  
  
The animal on the floor was a cat with a mixture of autumn colours in her fur.  
  
"Do you think Mary is back from work?" the cat purred and looked up at Will.  
  
"No. She said she's come here at five o-clock." Will said quietly  
  
He walked across the room towards a green armchair next to a lamp on a wooden cabinet. His feet made no noise on the soft carpet. And when he reached the cabinet, he opened it to reveal a cloudy coloured broken knife.  
  
The handle looked like it was made of pine-wood and brass mixed. It had an engraving of an angel on it. The blade lay in seven pieces next to the handle. On the right of the knife pieces, lay a few locks ofd golden hair. Will lifted these to his mouth and muttered something, then put them back in and closed the cabinet.  
  
Will as fifteen years old. And only three years ago had he fallen in love with the owner of the locks of hair. A girl called Lyra Belacque. They had travelled together for two whole months across different worlds using the, now-broken knife.  
  
"You're here early" Came a voice from behind him. He turned to face a woman about thirty-four years old. She was holding a brief case and was wearing a black top and a grey skirt.  
  
"Yea. I know." Will murmured looking down too the floor. "Just wanted too talk to my lover. Or to what I can of her"  
  
"Will. You've got to free your self from this grief" The woman calmly spoke.  
  
"I know Mary. But, I can't get her out of my mind"  
  
"Mary is right Will. Let your self have some fun. Lighten up" the cat purred and walked over to Will and leapt onto his lap.  
  
"I thank you for your sympathy. Kirjava, Mary. But it won't do much." he walked over to another door and opened it and turned back to mary "I'm going to sleep now. Good night"  
  
"Good night" Mary repeated and went off into another room.  
  
Will walked into his room and collapsed onto the bed. His room was no bigger than his old house. His mum who, as will had thought, had trouble with spectres, soul attackers. They go for your dæmon, your soul. Will is the only known human to have a permanently visible dæmon.  
  
His mum lived in that flat in another room and had stayed there all day. Will pulled the covers over him and eventually drifted asleep.  
  
  
  
Will! I need you! Please tell me that you can hear me…  
  
  
  
Will awoke with a start. It had not even been five minutes. He recognised that voice. Just a dream, he thought, just a dream…  
  
  
  
1 Will! Go to the botanic garden as soon as possible! There's another window. Please! Me and pan need you…  
  
Will woke up again. He'd just heard Lyra's voice in his dreams. No! That cannot be. She's in her world. And he's in his. He's just have to go the Botanic garden in the morning.  
  
Than next day, Will got up early and dressed himself in his usual black. They leapt five steps at a time to get down quickly. He ran past the desk and managed to avoid the managers complaints for now. He sprinted across a road and straight in front of a car.  
  
Kirjava was leaping after Will from all different places. They reached the garden gate. The black metal gate may have been a good obstacle, if Will had not brought a fragment of the knife. He sliced a pole of metal out and stormed in. running all around the garden. He decided too look at Lyra's and his 'meeting' place last. It was at the end of the garden. And they 'met' there at every midsummer day. He looked all around. His dæmon scouting the other side of the garden  
  
"Will! Over here!" Kirjava yelled over a tree at Will  
  
Will followed the calls right up to the bench where he and Lyra sit. And found there to be a tree growing behind it.  
  
"I didn't know there was a grey tree growing behind the bench" Will said puzzled. "Kirjava! Go and get your self in line with the bench!"  
  
The dæmon did as he was told. Will walked slowly up to the bench. He held out his hand and moved it forward.  
  
"Will! Your hand!" Kirjava screeched  
  
"Yes! It's a window. Just like Lyra said" Will wispered  
  
"Lyra? When did you talk to her?" Kirjava said cocking his head  
  
"Never mind" Will ended quickly. He beckoned Kirjava to come. He held her in his arms and moved the bench out of the way. When the bench was moved, they walked forward into the dull greyness. He looked back and saw a window filed filled with bright light. He looked around the garden and started for the exit. It was all coming back to him. These fine walls like in his world. Memories flooded back to him. The massive Zeppelins at the cave where he saved Lyra and the knife broke the first time. also the dunes in another world showed resemblance to this one.  
  
However. Something was wrong. There were screams and cries. Flames were coming from a building close by.  
  
All the thoughts in his mind were clear. Past images. And a thought came to him  
  
"Lyra!" he cried out… 


	2. The Lightning Charm

Chapter 2  
  
The Lightning Charm  
  
"Lyra! Run!" the master called to a girl with sleek blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and a charming body. "Lyra! Take Pantalaimon and get out of here!"  
  
"Why?" She called back. Her face showed an expression she'd learnt from Will three years ago.  
  
"The Angels who have been captured by the item we were discussing, are attacking to earn their freedom!" the old man yelled back  
  
The girl got the message and exited the great hall she was in. she sprinted down corridor after corridor until she got to her room. She quickly looked out the window. The thatched cottage next to the collage was on fire and flames were starting to leap onto the roofs of the great building she was in. She looked around a room and set her eyes on a old moss-eaten chest, and told her dæmon, Pantalaimon:  
  
"One last try before we leave Pan-"  
  
"No Lyra! We're wasting time-"  
  
"just a second. I'll be quick"  
  
She opened a chest and took out a object in a back velvet cloth. A golden Compass. The alenthiometer could answer any questions. But most of the time, it confused you.  
  
"What are you going to ask Lyra?" a pine martyr jumped onto her bed and spoke clearly  
  
"I'm going to ask if Will had arrived yet"  
  
She turned the three dials on the instrument and balls of sweat trickled down her face. She made three arrows point to the globe, for destination. the anchor, for hope and finally, the Sun for truth. She focused her mind and stared at the compass in front of her and kept on repeating the question;  
  
Where is Will?  
  
Eventually she laid the Alenthiometer down and sighed. "I can't read it. It's too confusing. I still need more practice."  
  
Pantalaimon sighed like Lyra.  
  
"Well! We need to get out of here," Pan said quickly. Lyra agreed and they left the room. Carrying the velvet rapped bundle in her white rucksack.  
  
They ran down the staircase and nearly slipped on the polished marble floor. Once they regained balance, they sped off. They reached the main door and found glowing objects in the sky.  
  
"Angels!" Lyra whispered  
  
"Avoid them! They are attacking us remember" Pan said reassuringly.  
  
They ran down the stone and moss eaten steps and onto the road. They looked round at the scene around them.  
  
They ran on towards the Botanic Garden and unlocked it with the key she had got from the master. She sprinted down to the other end of the garden. The sharp bushes were ripping her skirt as she ran by. When she got half way there, a sound made her stop. A mighty creak. She looked to her left and saw a tree falling towards her. And she let out a scream. It echoed back as something different  
  
"Lyra!"  
  
  
  
Don't worry Lyra! I'm here! You will be OK now you hear me?  
  
  
  
Lyra opened her eyes slowly and found herself lying on her own bed. She could tell this was not a dream because of the pain.  
  
Lyra and Pan heard footsteps outside her room and the door opened to show Will standing there holding a bowl of water.  
  
"Will!" she gasped but Will came and sat down next to her and held his finger to her lips  
  
"Shhh! You're badly hurt. That tree could've killed you!" he spoke in his calm voice as if nothing was wrong.  
  
She studied him for a minute and realised the trouble he went through to help her free. Blood was trickling down his head and his mouth was cut too. His clothes were covered in wet brown mud. Nevertheless, she still loved him just like before.  
  
She tried to move and sit up but realised that she couldn't. Blood was on her leg, her head and her breast. Pan was sitting next to her. Curled up. And Kirjava was licking his wounds.  
  
"You must be hungry" Will said eventually. He dipped his hand into his pocket and when she thought he reached something, his eyes widened. As if in shock.  
  
"Well, well, well. Long time no see." and he took out a red fruit from his pocket. Lyra gave him her warm smile and he kissed her in return. "Now you just rest OK?"  
  
"OK" Lyra replied  
  
"I've got to speak to someone. See you later" and at that he left the room.  
  
  
  
Will walked down the marble stairs towards the retiring room. He knocked and a elderly voice responded  
  
"Come in Mr. Parry"  
  
Will opened the door silently. He was staring into the Master's welcoming face, but he was worried.  
  
"I'm here. Now what did you want to tell me Mr.-"  
  
"Call me Mark. The Master name gets on my nerves." He cut Will's sentence.  
  
"Oh"  
  
"You have protected Lyra as much as you can and I feel you deserve you know the truth." Will nodded to say he understood. "Well, God, as some people called him, had left a valuable possession in his mighty clouded mountain."  
  
"I thought the mountain collapsed after he fell-"  
  
"That is what we all thought."  
  
When Will and Lyra were on their boat trip back to Cittagazza, Xaphaia told them that all the windows were closed. Also she had entioned that the Authorities' mountain fortress had collapsed. Or so they presumed.  
  
"The Possession he left was a Amulet. One with indescribable power. It was called, The Lightning Charm"… 


	3. The Mystic Daemon

Chapter 3  
  
  
  
The Mystical dæmon  
  
  
  
"A lightning Charm?" Will repeated and his face showed his feelings.  
  
"Yes." Mark said, "It is a object similar to the Alenthiometer and the Subtle Knife-"  
  
"You knew?" Will blurted out  
  
"Well yes. Lyra told us all about your adventures" Mark Answered and a faint smile flickered across his face.  
  
"Oh. OK then"  
  
"Well, as I was saying, The lightning charm is a amulet which contains dust. But is also a lethal weapon like the knife. You following?"  
  
"Yes" Will replied  
  
"Well, it is, in appearance, like the Alenthiometer, but as affective as the knife. For this does not cut their opponents, it captures them."  
  
Will took a step back and moved forward again because of a scream. He turned and saw Kirjava dancing, hot footed.  
  
"Will! Ouch! I stepped onto the fire! Hot hot hot!"  
  
Both the master, Will and the master's raven laughed.  
  
"I'd better go talk to Lyra about the charm-"  
  
"No need. I told her earlier."  
  
"OK! Goodbye"  
  
And Will walked out of the room without a word.  
  
"You didn't tell him about Sabress." The raven squawked.  
  
"I couldn't. Not yet anyway."  
  
And the master and his dæmon walked back towards the library  
  
  
  
"What took you so long?" Lyra asked when Will walked into Lyra's room.  
  
"I had a talk with Mar- I mean the master."  
  
"Oh. OK." And Lyra tried to get up but stopped moving when she saw what was in Will's hand. "Where's the rest of it?"  
  
"Back home. Mary should still be there." He turned and a smile appeared on his face. "Want to come and visit her when you're feeling better?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
  
  
Meanwhile in Will's world, school had ended and a boy, of the age of fifteen, was walking up to Will and Mary's flat. Once he reached the door, he hesitated, then knocked.  
  
"Come in" Called a voice from inside. The boy hesitated more. He had never been to Will's place before. Will had only come to his house once.  
  
The boy cautiously opened the door, as if he was going to be attacked, or ambushed.  
  
"Hi Nick! Will is out right now. I'll tell him you came by."  
  
"I saw Will just now. He said me to pick up those knife remains." He said pointing at the jagged pieces of metal lying on the table next to Mary.  
  
"I'm sorry Nick. But I can't give you them. I need Will's permission first."  
  
"Oh. OK. Goodbye" he said as he left for the door  
  
"Goodbye"  
  
Nick was walking down the stairs thinking;  
  
'I need his permission do I? Fine then. I'll get it…'  
  
And at that his eyes glowed a bloody red and he vanished into thin air.  
  
  
  
Will and Lyra walked through Lyra's botanic garden towards the window at the far end. Once they reached it, Lyra and Pantalaimon went through to see how much Will's world had changed.  
  
"Wow! It's so much different than last time." she said before she was completely through the window.  
  
"Come on!" Will grabbed Lyra's hand and sped off towards his flat. The two dæmons followed closely behind.  
  
The two star-crossed lovers ran through the crowds, not losing each other. Once they had reached the towering apartment, Will waited for Lyra and Pan to catch up. Kirjava was still beside him.  
  
"Darn! You've got fitter over the years" Lyra gasped as she reached Will.  
  
"Hurry! Mary might go to work soon!" and Will continued to run ahead of Lyra.  
  
Lyra pounded up the stairs after Will and stopped on a set of stairs. Thinking she had lost him.  
  
"Oy! Lyra! Down here!" came Will's voice from three flights down "You kinda passed me!"  
  
Lyra sighed as she plodded back down. then she reached him, he pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her forhead.  
  
The door, Will unlocked with his key's and walked in. he bagan searching around the flat. Calling for Mary every few seconds.  
  
He walked into her room and nearly fainted at what he saw.  
  
There was Mary lying on the bed, her eyes were completely open, but had no sign of anyone in.  
  
"oh god!" Lyra said when she entered.  
  
"Mary-" will walked up to her and collapsed beside her. "My…my friend-"  
  
"Will-"  
  
Will was sobbing softly and bitterly.  
  
"What's that?" Lyra said pointing at a sheet of paper.  
  
Will picked it up and read aloud:  
  
  
  
Will-  
  
Come to the Botanic Garden at noon Monday september 5th. If you hand the knife over to me, you can have Mary's souls back…  
  
  
  
Sabress  
  
  
  
Will crumpled up the letter in his hand. He stood up, and walked out of the room towards the Blacksmiths. Lyra and the two dæmons following closely behind… 


	4. The Sapphire Sword

Chapter 4  
  
  
Sapphire Sword  
  
Will walked down the street, a angry look in his eyes. Lyra followed closely behind. Ever since Will separated from Lyra, Kirjava was aware that these eyes were to be feared. He had looked like this only once. When kids from school insulted him and his mother for his behaviour and his mum's worried appearances.  
"Where is he going?" Pantalaimon asked Kirjava.  
"Hmmm. To a blacksmiths" Kirjava said sternly  
"Why?" Pantalaimon responded  
"Don't you see Pan? Will is going to get the knife mended!"  
"No!" Pan gasped and nearly fell over a loose flagstone. They were passing the Tesco supermarket by this time. Then Kirjava spoke again.  
"Yes he is. His feelings cloud his truthful judgement. This can be good in one way and terrible in the other-"  
"Lets just hope this is the good way" Pantalaimon interrupted.  
"We all do." Lyra butt in. She had heard the last few sentences and only just realised what it meant. "But… the knife will be too small. There's a good chance Will might be injured in the usage of it"  
"True" Kirjava pointed out  
When Pantalaimon, Lyra and Kirjava looked up from their conversation, they realised Will was staring at them.  
"I said what are you talking about?" Will asked the three beings in front of him.  
"Will…" Lyra walked up to him. "Do you really want the knife to be repaired?"  
"What?" Will shuddered and took a step back "Two things. One, the knife should be used for a purpose. That purpose is to get Mary back. Two, I can't risk loosing you too…" Will trailed off.  
  
"Come Titallicus!" an echoed voice spoke clearly into the distant blackness of the night. The night Panther walked up the crystal stairs carefully like it was a burglar in the house of a victim.  
The Panther was a deep black that if you looked closely, you'd think that you'd lose yourself. However, it was not all black. It had five magnificent silver slashes on its back like the moonlight would reflect off water. It had blood red eyes and on it's left eye, there was a small sharp scar going across from one side to the other. As she walked up the stairs, her ears were pointed up. But as she reached the landing, they had sunken down like a puppy would trying to get sympathy.  
"Come" the same echoed voice. Softer than before, yet, with a strong tone that made it to be feared. "We must not be late for our meeting with the boy. And if he's foolish enough, he'll bring the girl."  
The man who was talking clapped his hands, and as he did, four flame torches lit up like magic.  
The Man was sitting in a mouldy stone chair. He was wearing a black cloak with five silver slashes on it just like the panther's back. He had black trousers, which were cut around the knees, revealing a greyish skin with some deep scarlet blood on.  
"But Master Sabress." The Black Panther spoke with a tone so peculiar that it would be hard to tell her meaning behind the tone. Sarcasm, horror, or even wickedness. "Those two mortals have been through enough. They'd know it'd be a trap"  
"On the contrary my dead Titallicus." The man replied turning towards the panther, Titallicus. His face had the same greyish skin and his eyes were a blue crimson colour. "The boy is filled with fear and anger. His mind is not his any more. Only his dæmon can think straight. But I doubt that even Kirjava will be able to persuade him."  
"But what if the girl can?" Titallicus pointed out.  
"We'll just have to find out." The man started to walk down the crystal stairs. "Time will tell… sooner or later… time will tell"  
  
The Blacksmith looked around. There was a thumping of the door. Who could this be? He thought sternly. I'm closed. Can't those people read?  
He opened the wooden door and looked out.  
"What the!" he said in a low tone. What he saw were not adult customers, quite the opposite. "What do you two want?"  
"We want to come in," the boy asked seriously.  
There were two people and two animals. One boy, the one who spoke. One girl, standing behind and to the right of the boy. A cat and a pine martyr.  
"What do you two really want?"  
The dark haired boy put his hand into his pocket and pulled out several shiny pieces of metal.  
"I want this mended" the Boy said in the same serious tone  
"Hmm. Tell me boy. What was it before?" the blacksmith asked curiously  
"A knife."  
The blacksmith's neck snapped up to meet the boy's gaze. He looked into the black eyes and he saw anger. His eyes returned to settle on the knife pieces. He slowly took a piece and tried to cut a piece of metal.  
The metal he tried was part of a iron hammer. The handle snapped off with a swipe. He gasped and looked back to the boy.  
"What is this metal called?"  
The boy suddenly looked thunder struck. He didn't know the older man just knew it. he probably just picked it out of a bin.  
The girl with the dirty blond hair stepped forward "We don't know."  
"Even if I did repair it. You'd both realise that I could be sued for giving you a weapon." They both nodded. "but even you would be in danger. This knife would only be around 2 inches long."  
The two children looked at each other  
"If you wanted to be safe. I would need to use a larger amount of this… stuff."  
"If I got you some…" the boy trailed off "…could you make a sword?"  
"Sure" The Blacksmith said.  
"Oh yea! By the way, I'm Will. This is Lyra. He said nodding towards the girl. She smiled in return. And this is Kirjava and Pantalaimon he said nodding at the two animals.  
"I'm John." The blacksmith introduced himself. "A pleasure to work with a world hero"  
Will stared at John. Did he know? About their past? He decided not to ask. All he needed to know is how to find more of that metal.  
Then the Sword would be born into their world 


	5. A New Evil

Chapter 5  
  
A New Evil  
  
Will walked to the botanic gardens. He didn't know what he would be able to accomplish there, but he felt like going.  
  
Lyra followed like a well bred dog. not disobeying him, yet not knowing what to do They were walking through botanic gardens when a thought came to Will. Why not ask Xaphania? She could travel through worlds and surly she owed them a favour.  
  
"No Will. that's not likely. I doubt, even if she knew the importance of the situation, she wouldn't be able to help"  
  
"Stop it Kijava." Will said mindlessly.  
  
"I'm just pointing-" Kirjava put in quickly.  
  
"Please! I need to think!" Will almost yelled at his Dæmon.  
  
"Lyra" Pantalaimon said quietly to her "I think we'd best leave Will and Kirjava alone for a while" Lyra nodded.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ _____  
  
The girl and her dæmon walked back through the botanic garden towards the busy main road. Which was jammed tight with hundreds of cars and other vehicles. Lyra walked through the gate first followed by Pantalaimon and they both noticed movement to the right. A man had just run round the corner and this seemed to rouse the adventure spirit in her. She decided to follow.  
  
She ran round the corner with Pantalaimon sprinting on the Garden wall. When she got round the corner, she stopped dead.  
  
It wasn't a man running, it was a teenager. He had stopped running and was staring directly into her eyes. Lyra was shaking quite a lot by now and her dæmon, Pan, had fallen off the wall.  
  
The boy had medium length straight purple hair, a sort of Violet colour. His black cloak has a hood and it was up to keep his face completely from visibility, except from now. His eyes were emerald green and his smile was worrying. In his hands he held a sword. The hand holder was a silver colour with a metallic Black in between the silver strands. At the bottom of the handle was a golden semi-circle with a green Emerald eye imprinted on it. At the top of the handle, there was the shape of a, what looked liked a aboriginal eagle. On the side of the eagle read "The Eagolic Blade" The blade itself was a metallic blue, a sort of Crystal blue. And it looked unreal and deadly.  
  
Pan heard a hiss, and, thinking it was the boy, crept towards Lyra and climbed onto her shoulder and whimpered.  
  
The boy smirked and a wildcat coloured a metallic black crept out of his black cloak. It's red eyes fixed on Pantalaimon and she bared her teeth.  
  
The boy leapt forward and Lyra fainted.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ _____  
  
"OK then will, where do YOU suggest we find more of the metal?" Kirjava said slyly. They were still in the conversation Lyra left them in and Kirjava was deeply amused  
  
"OK! I give up!" Will said collapsing onto the grass under his tree. He had been here several times recently and had carved a heard round the back of the tree, inserting his and Lyra's Initials. He also did one for Kirjava and Pan. How both him and Kirjava had missed Lyra and Pan over these last years. He thought if he lived to be around fifty he would shoot himself because of loneliness and the thought of never seeing her face again. "What now Kirjava?"  
  
"Lets find will and Lyra. maybe they've thought of an idea" Kirjava said landing on Will's head after falling from the tree above him.  
  
"Ok. I'm worried about you speaking intelligently.. Where did I go wrong?"  
  
"Ha ha" Kirjava said sarcastically "You know if I was the human and you the dæmon I'd-"  
  
"-Shut up and help me find Lyra" Will added in wittily.  
  
The boy got up and walked back towards the gate slowly. Kirjava was jumping from tree to tree then she jumped onto the wall. And walked above Will..  
  
"Can you smell them?" Will asked his dæmon  
  
"I'm no DOG you know!" Kirjava said annoyed "I cant Smell a animal at twenty paces or something like that"  
  
Will chuckled at his dæmon's 'humour'  
  
"What so funny?" Kirjava said, then she mumbled softly "Humans."  
  
They walked around of the corner and they both nearly collapsed. Will managed to balance himself on the wall but Kirjava fell off the wall and back into the Gardens  
  
"Ouch!" She cried as she hit the floor. When she got back outside and to will he found him on the floor, crouching next to a small puddle of blood and four strands of dirty blond hair in the middle of it, which will was trying to get out. "They R-e-a-l-l-y like bailing on us don't they?"  
  
"K.. Kirjava. They're.. They're gone." 


	6. Lost

Chapter 6  
  
Lost  
  
"When will she wake up" a hissing voice came from the shadows  
  
"When she wants to" the black draped teenager replied "Until then, we wait" He walked out of the shadows and knelt next to the unconscious girl. Her dirty blond hair in a mess, a small slash from his sword on her cheek.  
  
He walked over to his sword and picked it up. There it was. A small spray of blood from the small cut  
  
"Shame you had to attack her" the wildcat said in a sympathetic tone "She could've done without that cut"  
  
"You think she would've come willingly?" the boy asked in an annoyed tone. He revealed the scabbard and returned the sword to its home. "Anyway. I need the boy. I need him for the plan."  
  
"We're running out of time for this Hikatana" the dæmon whispered silently "The garrison could come any day soon!"  
  
"You don't think I KNOW that?????" Hikatana said, his anger rising " Foxarito. I know all you know. I see all you see. we don't know anything the other doesn't"  
  
"You may see and know what I say but do you believe it?"  
  
"You're on thin ice Foxarito"  
  
"Fine. I'll go and watch over the girl's dæmon"  
  
The wildcat stalked away towards the pine-marten lying on the floor and sat in front of it  
  
The boy walked towards a window and looked out. In the outside world he could see a large black mass moving on the horizon  
  
"The Garrison is drawing near Foxarito" the boy said calmly "It'll be here in around two days if it tries to stay in formation. and I reckon the commander wants it to look intimidating. So that will let us have more time."  
  
"I know." the Wildcat hissed, "We need the boy!"  
  
"We've just got to wait for him to come."  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
Lyra opened her eyes slowly. She couldn't remember much, no more than that swordsman.  
  
She sat up slowly, looking around and getting used to the light as she did so. She was in a small room, stonewalls and she was lying on a carpet. It was a dark red and had vivid patterns on it, which set a different atmosphere to the room. She got up slowly but her body was killing her and it slowed her  
  
"Ouch!" she cried as she got up "It seems like I've been asleep for decades"  
  
"Don't worry.. It's only been forty eight hours," a voice from the shadow said subtly.  
  
"Who. who are you?" she said shaking  
  
"The person that brought you here" the voice said and walked forwards.  
  
"You!" she cried  
  
"Me." the boy said slowly. Brushing some of the violet hair out of his eye "Tell me... whom did you expect? William Parry?" the boy laughed  
  
"What have you done with him?" she growled  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Just as Lyra was about to ask for pan the boy pointed at the corner of the room and said "Over there"  
  
"How did you-"  
  
"-Know?" the boy smirked "That's not important"  
  
"Will. please! Help me!" Lyra said sinking to the floor  
  
"Stop crying Lyra" the boy said softly  
  
"Don't you try to show sympathy to my you MONSTER" At that Lyra got up and ran at the boy. Her fists clenched ready to hit him. Suddenly, the boy ducked, drew his sword and slashed  
  
Lyra didn't even feel it. She dropped and saw that a few locks of hair were lying on the floor and she gasped  
  
"Don't try that again please. it'll be a tragedy to Will if he lost his girlfriend" the teenager said slowly "Come Lyra. sit" the boy said patting the carpet. Cautiously, Lyra walked to him and sat down next to him.  
  
"Who are you?" Lyra said, calming down  
  
"My name is Hikatana. My dæmon is Foxarito. We are spirit warriors"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hmmm.. I guess they don't have them in your world either" He said, pondering, "Well, me and some friends control this castle here and, if you want to." he gestured towards the window "Look at the horizon"  
  
Lyra got up and walked toward the window. When she reached it, it did exactly as Hikatana said and looked towards the horizon, and gasped  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"A better question is, who is that?" the boy said standing up. "But ill tell you later" He walked towards Lyra. "Come on!" he said as he jumped out the window"  
  
Lyra cautiously climbed onto the windowsill and dropped off and she met resistance quickly. They were standing under the window and on the roof of a lower building.  
  
"Welcome. to the Spirit Sanctuary"  
  
Lyra gasped as she looked around the building. The tower they were in was a bright silver colour with multiple emeralds scattered around the wall. The emeralds were glowing a bright green with the sun reflecting off of them and Lyra was amazed at the beautiful colour.  
  
She looked down into a courtyard and saw a crowd of people looking just like Hikatana. Black cloaked and with dæmon similar to his Foxarito.  
  
Lyra looked back towards the tower and saw Pantalaimon and Foxarito on the windowsill looking around the sanctuary.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Lyra said, still breathless at the beautiful sight.  
  
"I need both yours and you're friend, Will's help." Hikatana said as he sat next to the wall. Looking over the fort.  
  
"Why should we help you?" Pan said feebly  
  
"The point is Pantalaimon, without us. you're lost" 


	7. Secrets Within

Chapter 7  
  
Secrets within  
  
A world. Where feelings didn't matter. The person who took Lyra didn't care about how Will felt. maybe they were counting on that. Maybe they wanted him to feel like this  
  
"Why did she have to be taken?" Will moaned at Kirjava, "Why does everyone I try to protect keep getting taken?" small drops of tears in his eye  
  
"Will, mourning wont do anything" Kirjava said slowly, for she too was in pain.  
  
Will stood up and looked around quickly "Did Lyra say HOW she knew about the window?"  
  
Kirjava stood outraged "Are you accusing Lyra and Pan?" Kirjava was quite beside herself at Will's thinking "After all you two have gone through you STILL don't trust her?"  
  
"I'm not accusing Lyra, Kirjava, neither Pantalaimon. Just that, I don't think it was Lyra I heard in my dream.. And I think her vanishing was no accident"  
  
"Duh! Of course it wasn't her fault!" Kirjava said annoyingly. "But I have to agree with you a bit. I wonder if Pan or Lyra could've told us how they'd known about the window "  
  
Will and Kirjava were sitting in the Oxford park. The place Will and Lyra had met those policemen and asked them for directions, a long time ago, to show him that she understood his world. Will missed those times.  
  
"So do I" Kirjava said thoughtlessly  
  
"Please stop doing that" Will said quietly  
  
"Stop what?" Kirjava said, crawling towards Will.  
  
Will gave his dæmon a small smile and said softly "Nothing".  
  
There was a minutes silence, then Kirjava said "Will, lets go back to the Garden"  
  
"Why?" Will groaned, sitting down with his back against the hard brick wall of the garden. "What's the whole point now.. I've lost Mars. I've l-l-lost L-L-Lyra. I just want it t-to b-b-be over." Tears beginning to swell under his eyes.  
  
"Will.. Calm down. I'm sure she's alright"  
  
"SHE ISN'T BLOODY WELL ALRIGHT KIRJAVA!" Will said jumping up. "SHE'S BEEN TAKEN AND FOR ALL I KNOW KILLED!"  
  
"Will.. Calm down. Act Reasonable" Kirjava said, Quivering. "She's alright. I know it. Use your' heart not your' head."  
  
"SHUT UP" Will yelled.  
  
"Will!" Kirjava said, taking a step back. "I can help you. if you just listen-"  
  
"No! I'm going my own way even if I die doing so!" Will said regretfully, walking away into the distance.  
  
Kirjava looked on at the dark haired boy retreating from her. What had happened here? She said to herself. Why is Will so uptight?  
  
Kirjava abandoned this question and walked into the crowd of people outside the nearby shop and vanished.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Midnight. Oxford.  
  
Out of the Botanic gardens, emerged a jet-black panther. The five Silver slashes on it's back glowed an aura so bright it out shined any street lamp nearby.  
  
Nobody was in the street and the Panther could walk around freely. It moved around the corner of the garden and stalked closer to the small scarlet puddle. Sniffing it, then looked up.  
  
On top of the wall stood a cloaked figure. It's red slits for eyes stared emotionlessly down at the dæmon in front of it.  
  
"So we meet at last Titallicus?" A Slithery voice whispered  
  
"It seems like that" The Panther said clearly "Talk louder. Nobody is near. We won't be interrupted."  
  
"Fine" The voice was bolder yet filled with the strange snake like suspicion. "Have you got it?"  
  
"No. I'm looking for it."  
  
"You had better hurry dæmon." The voice growled. Losing Patience "My Client has little patience left."  
  
"I'll get it. Don't worry"  
  
"I'll worry if I want to dæmon"  
  
"Will you cut with the 'dæmon' stuff? It's annoying!" Titallicus said, annoyed.  
  
"Fine. Just get it before I intervene"  
  
The Cloaked being and the dæmon began to walk in different directions. The dæmon into the garden, and the Mysterious creature into the mist down the road. 


	8. Dawn of a Day

Chapter 8  
  
Dawn of a Day  
  
Lyra was walking through all the training boys and girls. They were all around her age, each with a different appearance but at the same time, similar. She had been watching a purple haired girl sparring a boy with Cyan hair. They had been at is for over five minutes but Lyra was still excited at the two ecstatic teens.  
  
The girl's purple hair went down to the small in her back and her smooth face wasn't showing any sign of fatigue. Her smooth skinned hands gripped her sword, the Jyanasha, with such certainty. The Swords scarlet and gold gemmed blade sparkled in the sun at it hit it's opponent.  
  
The Boy was fighting furiously and his black cloaked swishing here and there. He two had the look of lack of fatigue. His sword was coloured a light sky blue and the parts where the sun hit were white. His sword was called Kytarin and the name was imprinted in gold on the base of the blade.  
  
The girl ducked a hard blow and whipped to the other side of the boy. He had anticipated her move and back flipped to face her head on again. They both side slashed each other and their swords met with a huge Clang and they held the position for a while, before back flipping, and leaving a three meter gap in between them.  
  
The boy leapt forwards, somersaulting over the girl who quickly turned and slashed, the boy ducked and swiped with his sword at her waist level. She leapt up and they both froze. The girl in the air and the boy looking up at her.  
  
They were will for a few seconds before they vanished in a blur.  
  
Lyra turned her head to the left and saw them still at it, faster than ever, swiping, slashing, blocking and thrusting. Each still seemed not to get hit.  
  
Suddenly the purple haired girl slashed up and the boy was thrown into a wall. The fight was over  
  
"Ouch! Man! You got to stop trying Amidia!" the boy moaned as he got up. He moved to pick up his sword, a few meters away.  
  
"Nah. I think ill keep it up like this. I enjoy a good bit of sport" the girl, Amidia, said. Suddenly, she noticed Lyra staring at them "Who are you?" she called in a polite tone.  
  
Lyra, not noticing that she was staring, jumped and blushed.  
  
The two teenagers walked up to Lyra slowly, both smiling innocently. "My name is Amidia," the girl said, blowing the purple hair out of her eyes. "And this is Kytarin" she said, indicating the boy next to her.  
  
"You must be new to the sanctuary" the boy said joyfully "And thank god there is more people."  
  
"I agree" Amidia said, still smiling "Gets so boring if no one new ever turns up."  
  
Lyra brushed her dirty blonde hair out of her eyes and smiled, saying, "My name is Lyra Belaque" she looked again at the sword's name and looked at the boy in confusion. "Your name is the same as your sword?"  
  
"Yea. This sword has been passed down through my family for generations. I was named after one of its owners. Who, ironically, named the weapon."?  
  
Lyra looked confused, but quickly recovered and grinned at them both.  
  
"How long have you lot been here?" Lyra asked, trying to get some background information.  
  
"Around a month." Amidia replied.  
  
"Forty five days to be precise" Kytarin corrected her.  
  
"Shut up" Amidia said slyly. Kytarin just shrugged and went to inspect his sword. "Who brought you here?"  
  
"Um." She stuttered "I don't think I can remember the name"  
  
"What colour hair did he have?" Kytarin asked intelligently.  
  
"How did you know it's a he?" Lyra said slowly  
  
Kytarin turned, from examining his sword and said "I know a lot more than you think"  
  
Lyra took a step back, worried.  
  
"Don't worry Lyra," Amidia said in her ear. "He always does this to newcomers, trying to freak them out"  
  
Lyra grinned. "His hair was purple"  
  
Amidia and Kytarin looked at each other and grinned "Hikatana" they said in unison.  
  
"How do you know him?"  
  
"We know everyone in the sanctuary," Amidia said, grinning.  
  
"Right."  
  
The two began to walk away and Lyra followed for no reason. She suddenly realised something.  
  
"Where are your dæmons" she said, confused.  
  
"I don't know. Where's yours?" Kytarin said smirking  
  
Lyra found this confusing and she looked around her. Kytarin was right. Pan wasn't there!  
  
"Don't worry Lyra, Pan will turn up eventually"  
  
"How do you-"  
  
"-Know?" Both of them said  
  
"Cut it out will you!" Lyra said, getting annoyed at how easy she was to trick "That is getting old"  
  
They walked on, down the path. When a voice came up behind her.  
  
"Lyra! Lyra!"  
  
She turned and saw Pantalaimon running up to her with a large silver chrome coloured bird with tail strings flying far our behind it. It was soaring above Pantalaimon and also a dark purple and scarlet tiger walking behind him.  
  
"Pan! Who are those dæmons?"  
  
The bird landed on Amidia's shoulder and the tiger walked to Kytarin.  
  
"Meet out dæmons." Kytarin said. "This is Marinay," he said gesturing towards the tiger. "And this is Kimiyat" he said gesturing towards the bird."  
  
"Kimiyat is a Phoenix." Amidia said intelligently. "But I don't know his meaning. Neither does he."  
  
The three people and their dæmons walked into the depth of the sanctuary. While the sun rised out into the sky, a day was born. ____________________________________________________________  
  
"She allies herself with the most untrustworthy of companions" The panther said slowly "But immediately, they reflect in the same way."  
  
"Are you sure what you saw in the sanctuary was genuine?"  
  
"Positive"  
  
"This changes the circumstances. If she has companions, she will stand up a lot more. We need to get rid of these meddling Spirit warriors."  
  
"But how?"  
  
"The Lightning Charm."  
  
"But master, that's used for utmost urgencies."  
  
"This is a utmost urgency." The voice growled, the panther taking a step back "If we capture the Spirit Warriors, then we will be one more step to our goal. You know what you have to do Titallicus."  
  
"At once." 


	9. Kirjava's Quest

Chapter 9  
  
Kirjava's Quest  
  
'Where am I going?' Kirjava asked herself as she walked through the streets of Oxford with her head down. The sky was a dull grey and the city was swamped with water.  
  
She walked through a puddle and looked at her reflection. It came as no shock to her when she saw her and Will's reflection overlapping. She was him and he her. She just didn't know how they could have parted.  
  
She knew Will loved Lyra and would risk anything to save her. And she knew that he wouldn't think twice before stubbornly risking his life. Will always did make decisions like that.  
  
Kirjava walked silently around a corner and right into someone, or at least she thought it was someone before she lifted her head to look.  
  
She had just walked into a Panther, which was twice her size. It had five great stripes of Silver on it's back which glowed like a beacon in the night.  
  
Kirjava was stunned for a second but the Black Panther responded immediately. It bared its teeth and growled viciously.  
  
"Who are you dæmon?" It growled through bared teeth. "What are you doing here!".  
  
Kirjava was startled and backed away growling softly "None of your business".  
  
Kirjava tried to run but the panther leapt over her and blocked her. She then tried to turn but the panther was faster than her again.  
  
"I asked you..." The panther repeated slowly, "...where are you going?".  
  
"I'm Looking... Not Going..." Kirjava said hopelessly.  
  
"For what?" the panther said still suspicious.  
  
Kirjava was getting annoyed at this interrogation. "Get out of my way" she yelled at him  
  
"Don't you yell at me Kirjava!!" The panther yelled. And realised he had let something slip "Dammit!"  
  
"How..." Kirjava said, walking around the panther "...how do you know me?"  
  
"None of your business" the panther said scrambling for words.  
  
"This seems familiar" Kirjava said quietly  
  
"Shut up" the panther murmured and walked into the distance. "I'll be seeing you Kirjava"  
  
Kirjava walked away from the stranger wondering 'who was that?' She walked through a mist cloud at the end of the road, which led to the roundabout beside the hornbeam trees where Will's adventure first started.  
  
But something was wrong here. The area around the trees was tense as if hiding something.  
  
The lonely dæmon approached the hornbeam trees cautiously, sensing danger.  
  
She walked around the other side of the hornbeams and saw that the window was there. But it can't have been.  
  
"I thought Xaphania said she closed all the windows," Kirjava said sternly to herself. "Why hasn't this been closed?"  
  
Kirjava, cautiously, walked up to the window and stuck one paw through it.  
  
"It doesn't feel weird" she stated to herself. So. with one breath, she stepped into the window and knew no more. 


End file.
